Konoha Rose
by Darkflameangel
Summary: She is as unassuming as a senbon, but underneath that delicate exterior she has a steely core. Make no mistake, she is dangerous. For someone so small, you wouldn’t think it, though. A shinobi's musings on his good fortune in love.


**Disclaimer:** Seriously, if I actually owned Naruto do you think that there would be that many filler episodes? And there would be way more instances where everyone's favorite Jounin would be running around being all badass (and there would be a bunch of battles that involved said Jounin managing to get their shirts ripped off them in the ferocity of battle in the pouring rain...).

**A/N:** DFA here bringing fanfic to the masses. This is just a little one shot that came to me the other night and beat me over the head till I wrote it down. The characters are purposely ambiguous in the beginning. Its up to you to figure out who this is about. Comments the whatnot will be awarded with big cookies!

_**Konoha Rose**_

She is as unassuming as a senbon, but underneath that delicate exterior she has a steely core. Make no mistake, she is dangerous. For someone so small, you wouldn't think it, though. Which is why I compared her to the senbon… You can underestimate her time and time again and each time you will get your ass handed to you. Believe me, I've had plenty of experience with that. I'm not the only one that hasn't looked underneath the underneath as far as she is concerned. You quickly learn to do so after you've removed yourself from a body shaped hole in the ground courtesy of her fist.

I guess what I am trying to say is that she is like the delicate flower she has been nicknamed after, the Konoha rose. A being of pale colors, fragile exterior, beauty, and even greater meaning, she graces the hardened warriors that swell the village's ranks with her skill and beauty. Her hair is the color of the palest pink blossoms. Her eyes match the deep green of the stem, and her skin is the texture of the most silken petals. Pretty poetic for a guy like me, huh? But hey, I've got my moments.

Ah…but don't get me wrong, she isn't just all beauty and no substance. A rose can cut you just as easily as a kunai. How, you ask, is a rose like a kunai? Easy, just as when you pull a kunai from your holster, you must be careful picking a rose. The thorns of a Konoha rose are just as deadly as the honed edge of a weapon and can cut you just as deep. The kunai, just as the rose, is beautiful in its own right. It is a weapon that can be wielded with grace and accuracy in a deadly dance of life and death. The rose also follows a cycle of life and death, and it carries some of the same meaning in its life dance as the kunai.

Just as the rose can cut, it can heal. She follows her namesake in that as well. The gift of a rose can help heal a sorrowful heart, and the gift of her love helped heal my scarred heart. Her hands repaired more than just the physical wounds I received in that battle, they helped sooth the pain that had been lying deep under the carefree exterior that I present to the world.

It may have appeared like I wasn't hurting back then, but all of the battles, blood, and deaths of my friends and comrades weighed heavy on my mind. Sure, most of the time my natural cynicism and flirting was enough to cover up the loneliness that I was hiding. But apparently there were times that I was unable to keep the emptiness bottled up. Kakashi, I know, had seen what was hiding behind my smile, but how could he miss it when his eye mirrored the same emotion. Other than Kakashi, I thought that no one else could see it.

She saw it, and more importantly, she cared. I would have never expected someone like her to take on the task of healing my heart. No, I don't mean to imply that no woman would find me attractive. It seems that I have completely the opposite problem. But one of the biggest differences between her and those women is that she didn't notice me because of my appearance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not too humble to say that I am good looking. I know that she finds me desirable. Every time that cute little blush crosses her pale cheeks, when she moves her pale hands over my body, and when she presses her lips to mine I knowthat she wants me as more than just a friend. When her sweet voice cries out my name in passion, I can feel deep in my heart that she truly cares for me.

Now, I've gotten distracted from what I was trying to say. But it's hard not to get distracted with thoughts of her. Right, back to why I am surprised that she took notice in a special Jounin like me. I mean, we may be at the same shinobi skill level, but we sure aren't the same age. Hold on for a second though…it**'**s not like I'm some old man pedophile preying on innocent children like Orochimaru. Ok, I guess I can scratch the innocent part out of my previous statement if I am going to include Orochimaru in the sentence. That is an entirely different matter that I really don't want to get into. That man has more issues than I have time to list them. Anyways, it's just that when compared to the young geniuses that are in her age group of 20, I seem a bit old. Not that I consider myself old though. I could kick all of those kids**'** asses…

Well, I guess that doesn't really matter. The fact remains that those men, err boys, aren't lying next to her tangled among these sheets. I am. Every time that I brush the hair from her face and she snuggles into my hand, I know that I love her more than I should have a right to.

She has shown me a way out of the darkness and loneliness that had lay waiting in my heart. With her healing hands, kind words, intelligent mind, and strong will she has shown me that I have more than just Konoha to protect. I have her. I just shake my head every time that I think of those fools that shied away from her affections. They sure are missing a wonderful woman.

She was able to heal my heart with the skill of a medic, the courage of a shinobi of Konoha, and the warmth of a blazing fire. Her steely determination, strength, and natural beauty are more than I deserve, but I am glad that she chose me over everyone else. I still don't know what she saw worth saving, but I just don't care. As I look at her lying there in the moonlight, I realize just how lucky I am to have a kunoichi like her.

This Konoha rose is one of a kind. With all the deadliness of a honed weapon and the delicacy of a wild flower stored with in her small frame, she has her arms wrapped around me and me alone. I reach into the drawer beside my bed and pull out my ubiquitous senbon and return it to its place between my lips. (She made me quit coming to bed with it in my mouth…there were some complaints about me getting holes in her lingerie with it…But, Hey I wasn't complaining. It's not like she was gonna wear that piece of cloth for long anyways.)

Leaning back to place my arms behind my head, I let my mind wander to how her face will light up when I ask her to marry me. But, with her head tucked into the crick of my neck and her skin pressed against mine, it can wait till tomorrow. Then again… The celebration might be too good to wait for. Yes, Shiranui, you are one lucky bastard.


End file.
